The Fight Against Casteism

For his time, Bhaktivinoda Thakura's approach and thought were downright rebellious. Of all the world's religions, certainly none is more conventional and reactionary than Indian religion, but there was no protest from the orthodox because Bhaktivinoda presented his arguments most reasonably. This kind of intelligent reasoning, rather than emotionalism, was what Bhaktivinoda used to expose what has been the singlemost perversion of Indian religion: caste consciousness.

Although Gandhi is more popularly known in the struggle against casteism, actually Bhaktivinoda Thakura had campaigned against it long before. And even before him, it was Caitanya Mahaprabhu who first promoted spiritual equality in India. Indeed, Mahaprabhu's two foremost disciples, Rūpa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, had been deemed outcastes by orthodox Hindu society because they had very closely associated with the Muslim rulers of the time. Lord Caitanya also appointed Haridasa Thakura, who was born a Mohammadan, to be the acarya or master of the holy name.

Only one who is enlightened, who sees spiritually, can see all creatures equally (panḍitaḥ sama-darsinaḥ). One who is materially contaminated must see differences because bodies naturally differ. It is the body which is male or female, brown or white, young or old, American or Indian, and so on. In his Life and Precepts, Bhaktivinoda made Lord Caitanya's teachings in this regard quite clear:

Nevertheless, after Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a group of self-interested brahmanas arose who declared that by genealogy they were the only qualified spiritual leaders. Such exclusiveness is very strong in Indian religion and, of course, not unknown in other religions. This group's idea was to monopolize all religious functions and collect money. Caitanya Mahaprabhu had opposed such imposters. In fact, on one occasion in Benares, as a protest, He purposely resided at the house of a sūdra, although it is mandatory for a sannyasi to stay with a brahmana.

Bhagavad-gita describes four orders of spiritual and social life, but nowhere does it hold that one's birth determines one's place among these orders. The Gita says:

catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ

According to this verse, four classes-intellectuals; administrators, merchants and laborers-are all created by Krsna. Thus we naturally find these different classes in societies all over the world. However, these classes manifest themselves naturally; they are not artificially created. Everyone has different qualities inherent within him and will behave accordingly. But in no circumstances does one's behavior depend only upon one's birth. If one's father is a high-court judge, this does not mean that one is himself a high-court judge. He also must first be trained and win a judicial appointment. Krsna therefore says that one is classified according to one's qualities (guna), and not one's birth (janma). Thus the caste system as created by the Lord is meant to take account of one's natural qualities, regardless of one's birth. If one is born in the family of a sūdra, or laborer, but has the qualities of a brahmana, or intellectual, then he must be accepted as a brahmana; and if one is born in a brahmana family but has he qualities of a sūdra, he must be accepted as a sūdra.

History now records how India has generally come to reject caste designations, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura had to fight caste consciousness not only in worldly society but even within religious society. Thus it is rather surprising that anyone who purports to be a follower of Caitanya Mahaprabhu could refuse to accept brahmanas who happen to be born as non-Indians. Lord Caitanya counted Rūpa, Sanatana, and Haridasa Thakura among His chief disciples. He elevated them to the status of Vaisnava, which is even higher than that of brahmana, to demonstrate that anyone who is qualified must be accepted as a sadhu, or holy man. Lord Caitanya even predicted that Krsna's name would be sung in every town and village of the world. Did He mean that only Indians would be singing Krsna's name all over the world? Obviously He meant that Europeans, Americans and Africans would also take to the chanting of Krsna's holy name.

The revealed scriptures state that anyone who takes to the chanting of the holy name is situated on the topmost spiritual platform. Srimad-Bhagavatam says: "If a person born in a family of dog-eaters takes to chanting the holy name of Krsna, it is to be understood that in his previous life he must have executed all kinds of austerities and penances and performed all the Vedic sacrifices." (Bhag. 3.33.7) Similarly, Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi-lila 7.23) states: "In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, they distributed love of Godhead." And, again in Adi-lila 7.26: "The Krsna consciousness movement will inundate the entire world and drown everyone, whether one be a gentleman, a rogue, or even lame, invalid or blind." Lord Caitanya made no bodily distinctions, for His movement is purely spiritual.

The scriptures declare that anyone who discriminates against a qualified devotee is doomed. The Padma Purana states:

"One who considers the worshipable Deity of Lord Visnu, or Krsna, to be stone, the spiritual master to be an ordinary human being, or a devotee to belong to a particular caste or creed, is possessed of hellish intelligence." Nevertheless, such material consciousness still prevails in some religious quarters. Even today the priests of the temple of Lord Jagannatha at Puri will not allow any non-Indian to enter, even though Lord Caitanya Himself stayed there for twelve years and Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the chief administrator of the temple for over five years, from 1871 to 1876.

(to be continued)